X1 DVR very slow response to remote commands

Been having trouble with my X1 system

Since mid week Dec 4 to now the system fails to respond to remote commands or is taking 10s of minutes to execute. Then all remote commands are executed fast in sequence. This is especially irritating when using DVR.

Several chat room diagnostic sessions and a home visit did not fix it. I heard on the internet downloads started last week and that many X1 boxes are having difficulty responding.

How do I fix this..... This behavior consumes at least 20% of my viewing time. This is especially difficult around 5pm. And 10pm

Re: X1 DVR very slow response to remote commands

I just installed xfinity service a few weeks ago I am using the X1 platform. My remote is very slow to respond to comands and when using my DVR to rewind and forward I have to press the button a few times so it will work. It would be nice for comcast to actually have somone replay back and do something about it!

Re: X1 DVR very slow response to remote commands

Guess xfinity has no real answer to this problem. Mine after one week of use is now acting up and does not always respond to remote inputs. Painfully slow at times. My temporary fix is to use the "restart Device" option under Device settings. It works for a day or so then I have perform the restart option again. Ugh

Re: X1 DVR very slow response to remote commands

Apparently, Comcast just wants to sell the X1 service without actually expending the time, effort and expense into making it work. Now I know what happened to all the 8088 chips recycled from the original IBM-PCs -they were used to make the X1 boxes! Both my main and my add-on box experience periods of simply not responding to the remote commands -- and yes, the "remote" light flashes on the box, so it received the command, it just decided to ignore it. Other times, it takes minutes to respond, so like a previous complainent, you stack up a series of commands that get executed all at once. Why has no one from Comcast responded to this issue? Afraid we'll find out you really don't know what you're doing, or you sourced a crappy box because it saved you $1.50?

Re: X1 DVR very slow response to remote commands

This situation is scandalous. The X1 box is so slow to respond to commands that I routinely wait 5-6 seconds for simple commands from the remote to execute. And if the box is recordgin something at the time, it takes up to 10 seconds. It's impossible to tell whether the machine has actually received the command, so lots of time is spent back-tracking, etc.

has anyone ever received any useful information from Comcast (or anybody else) on how to correct this? Seems like all these complaints are falling on deaf ears. Time to switch cable providers I think...

Re: X1 DVR very slow response to remote commands

This situation is scandalous. The X1 box is so slow to respond to commands that I routinely wait 5-6 seconds for simple commands from the remote to execute. And if the box is recordgin something at the time, it takes up to 10 seconds. It's impossible to tell whether the machine has actually received the command, so lots of time is spent back-tracking, etc.

has anyone ever received any useful information from Comcast (or anybody else) on how to correct this? Seems like all these complaints are falling on deaf ears. Time to switch cable providers I think...

Weak and or dirty signal will cause this to happen. It is not the machine that is having issues getting the commands. It is how long it is taking it to get to the server then back to the box.

No, it's the undersized servers that the boxes must communicate with for every command. I complained about slow response, and they sent a technician out to diagnose. Since he was a cable installer, he of course said that the problem was the cable. They came out a few weeks later and replaced the cable run between the junction box and my house, re-routed some of the in-house cables, and declared that everything was well within spec. Yet, every day, especially at the peak time of on the hour in the evening (8 PM, 9 PM, 10 PM), the box ignores my commands until they get stacked up and executed 30 seconds to 2 minutes later. Can there be anything more frustrating than trying to change the channel to catch the next show, only to have to box just sit there and blink at you? This is a horrible design, with just about every button press assumed to be a search, and therefore the box has to communicate with its server to retrieve the possible solutions to the request. When I want to change the channel, I should be able to just enter the two or three digits, and have the box itself make the change. If I want to search, give me a search button to press first. This simple change would alleviate 75% of my frustrations with the crappy X1 system!

No, it's the undersized servers that the boxes must communicate with for every command. I complained about slow response, and they sent a technician out to diagnose. Since he was a cable installer, he of course said that the problem was the cable. They came out a few weeks later and replaced the cable run between the junction box and my house, re-routed some of the in-house cables, and declared that everything was well within spec. Yet, every day, especially at the peak time of on the hour in the evening (8 PM, 9 PM, 10 PM), the box ignores my commands until they get stacked up and executed 30 seconds to 2 minutes later. Can there be anything more frustrating than trying to change the channel to catch the next show, only to have to box just sit there and blink at you? This is a horrible design, with just about every button press assumed to be a search, and therefore the box has to communicate with its server to retrieve the possible solutions to the request. When I want to change the channel, I should be able to just enter the two or three digits, and have the box itself make the change. If I want to search, give me a search button to press first. This simple change would alleviate 75% of my frustrations with the crappy X1 system!

It is not the servers! I would look at your upstream and snr levels..If your snr is below about 37.5 than there is noise in the system somewhere. Also your upstream should be at or below 45, if it is in the 45-46 range you are ok there!

Re: X1 DVR very slow response to remote commands

It is not the servers! I would look at your upstream and snr levels..If your snr is below about 37.5 than there is noise in the system somewhere. Also your upstream should be at or below 45, if it is in the 45-46 range you are ok there!

The cable techs who tested the system assured me everything was in spec -- so who should I believe? They were here to fix this problem, not an internet performance problem. This problem is primarily with the extension box, the DVR has less of a (but not no) problem. Should be the same upstream connection. And, if it was a SNR problem, why would it be so severe at the time other users are hitting the server for channel changes? I don't have an internet connection slowdown on the hour, and I can't believe that sending three key presses overloads the network, even if a lot of other people are pressing two or three keys also.

Re: X1 DVR very slow response to remote commands

It is not the servers! I would look at your upstream and snr levels..If your snr is below about 37.5 than there is noise in the system somewhere. Also your upstream should be at or below 45, if it is in the 45-46 range you are ok there!

The cable techs who tested the system assured me everything was in spec -- so who should I believe? They were here to fix this problem, not an internet performance problem. This problem is primarily with the extension box, the DVR has less of a (but not no) problem. Should be the same upstream connection. And, if it was a SNR problem, why would it be so severe at the time other users are hitting the server for channel changes? I don't have an internet connection slowdown on the hour, and I can't believe that sending three key presses overloads the network, even if a lot of other people are pressing two or three keys also.

so when your car breaks down after you just got a tune up, who do you blame!? Yes the companion box is slower, But you should have no slowness on the dvr.

Re: X1 DVR very slow response to remote commands

It is not the servers! I would look at your upstream and snr levels..If your snr is below about 37.5 than there is noise in the system somewhere. Also your upstream should be at or below 45, if it is in the 45-46 range you are ok there!

The cable techs who tested the system assured me everything was in spec -- so who should I believe? They were here to fix this problem, not an internet performance problem. This problem is primarily with the extension box, the DVR has less of a (but not no) problem. Should be the same upstream connection. And, if it was a SNR problem, why would it be so severe at the time other users are hitting the server for channel changes? I don't have an internet connection slowdown on the hour, and I can't believe that sending three key presses overloads the network, even if a lot of other people are pressing two or three keys also.

so when your car breaks down after you just got a tune up, who do you blame!? Yes the companion box is slower, But you should have no slowness on the dvr.

That makes no sense at all. I should accept "slower" as 30 seconds to 2 minutes when I'm trying to change the channel to watch my next program selection? With all the complaints about slow or no response to remote commands, are you saying that we all have poor cable connections, and things would be just hunky-dorry if we'd only get our cable fixed? How am I supposed to get this fixed if Comcast says that the cable specs are just fine?

Re: X1 DVR very slow response to remote commands

Just remember your house could be just fine and there outside network could have issues!

^^^^^^ This! ^^^^^^

And keep in mind that street-level issues change with atmospheric variances. We had a devil of a time getting an external problem solved because it changed with outside tempurature fluctuations.

Dave

How does that work when I consistently get > 100 MBps internet connection (speedtest.net)? Upload speed is > 10 MBps. If the upstream network was degraded by atmospherics, wouldn't my internet speeds also be affected?

Re: X1 DVR very slow response to remote commands

How does that work when I consistently get > 100 MBps internet connection (speedtest.net)? Upload speed is > 10 MBps. If the upstream network was degraded by atmospherics, wouldn't my internet speeds also be affected?

Not necessarily as X1 works on a seperate bandwidth of very specific frequencies. Our internet and phone were (mostly) working fine as the modem for those services has a greater tolerance of variances than does X1.

As far as I can see, you have not posted your signal levels for that box. Let's have a look at them!

How does that work when I consistently get > 100 MBps internet connection (speedtest.net)? Upload speed is > 10 MBps. If the upstream network was degraded by atmospherics, wouldn't my internet speeds also be affected?

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Re: X1 DVR very slow response to remote commands

OK, that worked. On "System", page 5 of 9, the downstream SNR is 37.7 dB, the upstream power is 54.8 dBmV._____________________

The upstream should be under 51, what's the downstream power? Do you have any unnecessary splitters you can remove?

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Re: X1 DVR very slow response to remote commands

Pvollmar, your modem and both x1 have an upstream that's too high. You should get a tech out to1. Check to make sure the upstream isn't too high outside, if it isn't,2. To install a no loss amp to get all your equipment in spec, one of these, but with 5 ports instead of 9

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Re: X1 DVR very slow response to remote commands

@ComcastAndrew wrote:Pvollmar, your modem and both x1 have an upstream that's too high. You should get a tech out to1. Check to make sure the upstream isn't too high outside, if it isn't,2. To install a no loss amp to get all your equipment in spec, one of these, but with 5 ports instead of 9

OK, I'll put in a service call, and I do appreciate your help. What I don't understand is, for example, if I'm in the Guide, and I press the right arrow key to move the highlight to the next show, and nothing happens. I then press the right arrow several more times, and then all of a sudden all the key presses are processed rapidly one after the other. I don't understand how that is a cable signal problem, because the commands obviously got to where they needed to go, but that place was apparently too busy to process them at the time my box sent them.

Re: X1 DVR very slow response to remote commands

Those button presses need to leave the cable box and come back, if there is something that's impeding that, ie. your high upstream, you can see slow reactions as a result.

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Re: X1 DVR very slow response to remote commands

My upstream power is 46.3, so under your threshold of 51. Still highly unresponsive during peak hours and if box is recording. Does not seem like a dirty line, seems very much like a network problem. Would also like to point out that I do not have this issue with any other streaming service -- Netflix, Amazon, etc. -- which respond to button presses readily.So if the dedicated bandwidth, isolated comm channels etc are supposed to enhance the X1 experience as compared to internet streaming, it does not seem to be working...

Re: X1 DVR very slow response to remote commands

My upstream power is 46.3, so under your threshold of 51. Still highly unresponsive during peak hours and if box is recording. Does not seem like a dirty line, seems very much like a network problem. Would also like to point out that I do not have this issue with any other streaming service -- Netflix, Amazon, etc. -- which respond to button presses readily.So if the dedicated bandwidth, isolated comm channels etc are supposed to enhance the X1 experience as compared to internet streaming, it does not seem to be working...__________________________

It's not just upstream, there's downstream and SNR too. On all your DVRs, your downstream is out of spec on the plus side but what sticks out is your SNR ( signal to noise ratio) is under 30 on all your DVRs. Should be over 35.I would also take a look at your modem, it's downstream is at -9. It doesn't make sense that there's that much difference (20db) between your modem and your DVRs.

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Re: X1 DVR very slow response to remote commands

@rawlsio wrote:Not really sure what "take a look at your modem" means. Can I adjust these settings? Do I unplug/replug them? Is there an interface somewhere that allows me to change these values?

In a word: No. You have signal issues that are affecting your internet service as well as your TV. You need to schedule a Comcast tech to come out and find the source of the problems. There are no "adjustments" you can make. The problems are due to faulty cabling, splitters, amplifiers, etc. either within your home or with the feed coming into it. This is not a user-correctable problem (in most cases). Unless you have the equipment to identify that the problem lies within your home's wiring and the knowledge/skills to correct them, you need to call Comcast to get a tech out there. I'm not trying to be a smart-@ss here, just speaking the truth.

Re: X1 DVR very slow response to remote commands

@rawlsio wrote:I'm also looking at the system page 5 of 9 right now, and the SNR reads 37.0 dB. So above 35...

SNR is not a fixed value and will deviate throughout the day. If Andrew said it was out-of-spec when he looked at it, it most certainly was. The fact that when you checked, it was marginally above spec makes it suspect. Call and schedule a tech.

Re: X1 DVR very slow response to remote commands

Thanks - just trying to understand. As far as I can tell, all the required readings that have been mentioned (SNR above 35; upstream below 51) seem to apply to my system, so I'm not sure why we think it's a cabling problem. Is the belief that severe slowdowns in the X1 performance (like failure to process button clicks) are only the result of faulty wiring that (I guess) only occurs intermittently, and is not at all correlated to atmospheric conditions, since I get bad performance and good performance within the same day and even hour sometimes? Not a cabling expert, but "faulty wiring" just does not seem like an explanation that suits these facts.

Re: X1 DVR very slow response to remote commands

@rawlsio wrote:Thanks - just trying to understand. As far as I can tell, all the required readings that have been mentioned (SNR above 35; upstream below 51) seem to apply to my system, so I'm not sure why we think it's a cabling problem. Is the belief that severe slowdowns in the X1 performance (like failure to process button clicks) are only the result of faulty wiring that (I guess) only occurs intermittently, and is not at all correlated to atmospheric conditions, since I get bad performance and good performance within the same day and even hour sometimes? Not a cabling expert, but "faulty wiring" just does not seem like an explanation that suits these facts.

Ah, but your description of the problem fits perfectly with a cabling issue! Intermittent issues as you have described are often the most difficult to diagnose because they are due to something as silly as a loose connection *somewhere*. That *somewhere* is the real wildcard. And it may not be a loose connection. It could be an oxidized connector that's not obvious to visual inspection. A faulty PCB in an amplifier *somewhere* along the line. Any number of things. The key is that it is intermittent.

Re: X1 DVR very slow response to remote commands

@rawlsio wrote:Thanks - just trying to understand. As far as I can tell, all the required readings that have been mentioned (SNR above 35; upstream below 51) seem to apply to my system, so I'm not sure why we think it's a cabling problem. Is the belief that severe slowdowns in theX1 performance (like failure to process button clicks) are only the result of faulty wiring that (I guess) only occurs intermittently, and is not at all correlated to atmospheric conditions, since I get bad performance and good performance within the same day and even hour sometimes? Not a cabling expert, but "faulty wiring" just does not seem like an explanation that suits these facts.

It has everything to do with it. Just keep in mind the issue may not be within your house at all. temps have a ton do do with it. When the sun hits connectors and components in the network sometimes they open up just enough. This will allow unwanted signals to compromise the closed network. When outside signals enter the network it will conflict with the what your remote control is sending to the comcast server.

Just call comcast they can fix this. one more thing if you are above 45 upstream too much this will cause issues, same goes for snr below about 37.5!

Re: X1 DVR very slow response to remote commands

I'm also looking at the system page 5 of 9 right now, and the SNR reads 37.0 dB. So above 35______________

Sorry I should have been more specific there are 2 SNRs upstream and downstream, it's the upstream SNR that's low. But the signal coming in to all your X1 boxes is still too hot, and there is too much loss in signal to your modem ( the modem has nothing to do with X1).

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Re: X1 DVR very slow response to remote commands

I had Comcast out to change out the distribution module from the line in and to adjust things to get all the levels in balance.That does seem to have solved the very worst set of problems I was having -- 1 to 2 minutes of lag time between commands.But it hasn't solved the fact that even at its best, the system takes between 1 and 2 seconds to register every single command.It's usable and I've adapted to it by lowering my expectations about how a human interface is supposed to function, but at the end of the day, this is an unhappy compromise with a substandard technology. Really disappointing.